Chapter 675: Bloodwind (1/2)
The second trial went without any surprises, and Zac added another title to his growing repertoire after suffering inside a volcano for three weeks. Zac would probably have been able to reach the core of the volcano in two, but he had decided to move slowly as he digested what he had gone through in the chasm.
The second title only gave Strength, Vitality, and Endurance, but it did provide 4% to all three, which was even more valuable compared to the previous title in Zac’s book. He had considered swapping out his Weight of Sin-title as well, but he eventually decided to skip it.
Getting a marginally better title wouldn’t make much difference, and Zac felt it more worthwhile to move on to the next step of his plan. That meant there was just one final slot to fill, and Zac had saved the hardest one for last. He was currently in the darkness of mid-teleportation, but he soon found himself on top of a teleportation array in the middle of a desolate wasteland.
Zac looked around with wonder, feeling his heartbeat speed up while adrenaline coursed through his body. It almost felt like he was standing on the middle of a battlefield since the air was rife with killing intent. However, Zac knew it wasn’t someone targeting him, but rather a result of endless battles.
The planet he had decided to visit was called the Bloodwind World, and it was one of the greatest worlds made available to him by the System. The planet itself was at the very peak of D-Grade, and it was apparently hundreds of times larger than Earth even after the integration. The history of the planet was extremely rough though.
The Bloodwind Planet was once considered a cultivator’s haven, and a lot of factions wanted to make it their own. One bloody war after another erupted on its surface, an endless slaughter that lasted for tens of thousands of years. It was just like the vision Zac saw for that bloody lotus, but here there was no supreme treasure to swallow all killing intent and foul air.
It eventually got to the point that the very attunement of the planet changed, and the Cosmic Energy was now suffused with bloodlust. Cultivators with weaker mental strength would slowly go mad in an environment like this, turning into bloodthirsty maniacs. It was almost like the effect of the Miasma has on people living at the edge of the Dead Zone, but there was no escape here.
The change to the planet made most factions lose interest, as it was impossible to house a clan in a world like this. It was no problem to the upper echelons to a clan to survive here, but the younger generations would all turn insane. But one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and some factions and organizations jumped at the opportunity to set up shop in this corrupted world.
And Zac’s purpose of coming to this place was to visit one of these factions; the Big Axe Coliseum. In fact, this world was his absolute first choice when it came to Limited Titles, but he had left it for last to improve his attributes first.
The Big Axe Coliseum was both a battle-arena where cultivators could pit themselves against other cultivators or ruthless beasts collected across the sector, and a loose organization for Axe cultivators. Loose Organizations were different than Sects or Clans in the sense that there very few restrictions when joining such a faction. In return, they didn’t nurture their members or provide any benefits without payment.
Still, there were a lot of benefits to joining this kind of organization. Most of these organizations had merit systems just like Port Atwood and they held all kinds of items, some of which very hard to get your hands on through normal channels.
The treasure vault wasn’t that big a deal to Zac though since he had the benefits of hundreds of thousands of Teleportation connections. What was scarce in one part of the Zecia sector, might be attainable in other parts. That was how he and Kenzie managed to collect so many rare treasures in just three years. For most cultivators that would be simply impossible.
Zac was more interested in the information that this organization held. The Big Axe Coliseum was reportedly founded by a proper C-grade Axe Warrior, and while the founder was long dead it was still a proper C-grade faction with at least one Monarch ruling from the shadows. There were also thousands of D-grade Hegemons who were members of the organization, and Zac felt he might be able to make some unexpected gains if he joined the organization.
The Big Axe Coliseum probably had one of the most complete heritages when it came to cultivating with the axe, be it classes, skills, or upgrade methods for Spirit Tools. Even better, the test to become an outer member of the Big Axe Coliseum was a Limited Title-Trial which gave both fixed and increased Strength and Dexterity if you passed.
It was among the best of what an E-Grade open trial could provide, though it only provided it in two of the attributes. Zac immediately set out, a bit surprised at the fact there were no people around him in an extremely popular place like this. Millions of people in the sector reportedly came to the Coliseum, and not just Axe Cultivators. Yet, the teleporter took him to an empty tundra, with only a sign pointing the direction of the Coliseum.
It was completely different compared to the bustling scene outside the Havenfort Chasm, but it didn’t matter to Zac as he started to make his way toward the coliseum. Part of him wanted to take out his Flying Treasure, but he ultimately decided against it since a lot of worlds had restrictions regarding things like that. Flying was usually considered a privilege of Hegemons, and not something that piddling E-grade cultivators should do.
The surroundings were pretty desolate, with rock formations and the occasional twisted tree the only break in the dour surroundings. The lack of people was starting to get to him a bit, but he kept moving forward until he suddenly sensed a presence not far away.
“Ah, a human?” a deep guttural voice exclaimed with surprise. “It’s not often we get your kind in this part of the Sector. Haha, like the taste of the air?”
Zac turned around and spotted a huge ogre reaching over twelve meters into the air. He was sitting with his back against a large rock a few dozen meters away, and there was a smell of blood and alcohol around him. His head was adorned with six short horns, and his bare round chest was covered in fractal tattoos. His legs seemed pretty stocky, and his arms were of such grotesque proportions that he would make Billy look scrawny in comparison.
Where had this guy come from? Zac was certain that he had looked at that rock just a moment ago, but at that time there hadn’t been anyone there. Still, Zac didn’t worry too much since he clearly wore the token of a member of the Big Axe Coliseum attached to his belt.
More importantly, while his appearance was pretty scary, his aura was not. Zac estimated his strength to be somewhere in the early E-grade, a common level of greeters.
“It’s not bad. It feels like I’m standing on a battlefield,” Zac smiled. “Is this really the Bloodwind World? How come there are no people?”
“Not bad? Haha, good!” the Ogre laughed. “Some feel pressured and fearful. They are no warriors. Others lose themselves in the fervor. They are nothing but animals. As for why there are no people, you’re standing inside an array.”
“I am?” Zac blurted as he looked around without spotting anything amiss.
“You’re too weak to notice it. Don’t worry, it’s just an illusion array. Some weaklings who come to this planet lose their minds from the atmosphere, and immediately attack anyone in the vicinity. This way we avoid a mess at the teleporters. Of course, I can tell that you’re barely affected at all. You have potential. Do you use the axe?” the Ogre asked curiously.
Zac thought it over for a second before he took out [Rakan'sRoar], a brutal axe which was made from a singular serrated tooth. The handle was made from a pristine white bone as well, except for a red gemstone that was embedded at the bottom along with some leather for a grip. He immediately infused the axe Fragment of the Axe as he showcased it to the ogre.
He had come here to take the test, so there was no point in hiding.